Washington (CNN) - After two years of endless debate and a national election, Democrats and Republicans on Thursday found themselves right where they started - blaming each other for stagnant negotiations on taxes and government spending.
House Speaker John Boehner declared himself disappointed that "no substantive progress" has occurred in two weeks of talks, saying Republicans were waiting for the White House to propose significant spending cuts.
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Perhaps Boehner has not noticed that the President won the election by over 4 Million votes, or a 3.4% margin, and Obama espoused his tax plan over and over during the election, The Democrats gained seats in the Senate and in the House but remain in the minority in the latter. Boehner cannot control his own Tea-Party crazy caucus-his leadership skills leave much to be desired.
Get those recall petitions ready for the Republicans who continue to serve as lap-dogs for the rich! Don't wait until 2014 to throw them out. Start the action on the first day after we go over the fiscal cliff!
What he is saying is that the president will punish 98% to exact his social vengeance on 2%. Will the dems ever stop spending what they dont have? NO! Thats why an increase on the 2%, which i am not a part of, wont even put a dent in our fiscal issues. Be ignorant if you so choose.....
Somehow I am guessing that this time Boehner will not get 98% of what he wanted. Read the polling, listen to the American people and then go out on both sides and do what the majority of us want. Don't forget WE the people pay your salaries so you actually work for us.
why are only 2% of americans being asked to help pay for this country and its defense???? everybody knows they can't pay for it all. where is everybody elses contribution????
just return everything to the other tax rates where more people contributed. not sure what the problem dems have with this. they think the clinton era tax rates are a cure all but they are not. and are they willing to also return the the clinton era spending levels??? that would be great because they were only $1.7 trillion a year versus obama's $3.7 trillion a year. that is the real problem. taxing the rich is nothing but more obama smoke and mirrors.
This man is not good for America, there is a mean and ruthless aroura about him, he needs to step down and to be reminded that Obama is potus, not him.
just sayin
how can you make progress when obama is still on the campaign trail spewing his endless class warfare drivel? and he hasn't disclosed any of his cuts to spending. if he wants to raise taxes by $80 billion on the rich then he needs to come up with $200 billion in cuts to current spending
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Uh, Obama and Boehner worked out a spending cut deal, which included entitement reform, before the Tea Party House rejected it and passed their fiscal cliff bill.......incorrectly assuming that the GOTP would win the 2012 elections by the same margins as they did in 2010. Now they're stuck without a "Plan B", having relied to much on bad data, false assumptions, and a total disconnect from reality.
Boehner is just stalling, posturing, and relying on the ignorance of those who have forgotten the facts, and prefer the safe confines of the right wing media's version of reality. I call it the hamster cage.
just sayin wrote:
just return everything to the other tax rates where more people contributed. not sure what the problem dems have with this. they think the clinton era tax rates are a cure all but they are not. and are they willing to also return the the clinton era spending levels???........
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Don't be ignorant of reality. We cannot return to the Clinton era spending levels because we've been fighting two wars for a decade. At their peak, the wars were costing $2 billion a week, each. They also happen to be the largest contributor of our annual deficit.
We should do what's fair is fair. If we return to the Clinton tax policies, shouldn't that include returning capital gains taxes from 15% back to 28%, too?
Eliminate Excessive Taxes, Eliminate the National Debt, Eliminate Deficit Spending, Protect Free Markets, Abide by the Constitution of the United States, Promote Civic Responsibility, Reduce the Overall Size of Government, Believe in the People, Avoid the Pitfalls of Politics, Maintain Local Independence. I guess these are all foreign concepts to democrats!
Its clear Obama is not willing to negotiate any cuts. House republicans are right to demand cuts and should be willing to take some tax increases. Boehner is not dealing with someone reasonable like Clinton so whatever resolution comes about it is not going to bring the windfall of growth we saw in the 90's. Somewhat telling is all these companies giving special dividends this last quarter to avoid some of the tax increases for their investors.
Eliminate Excessive Taxes, Eliminate the National Debt, Eliminate Deficit Spending, Protect Free Markets, Abide by the Constitution of the United States, Promote Civic Responsibility, Reduce the Overall Size of Government, Believe in the People, Avoid the Pitfalls of Politics, Maintain Local Independence
just askin wrote:
why are only 2% of americans being asked to help pay for this country and its defense????
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Absurb question, so I'll give you what I'm sure you'll find to be an equally absurd answer. Why? Because the 98% have been carrying more than their fair share of this country's defense, both in taxes and lives.
Boehner better stand up to his party. We the people re elected the President. We the people will vote the Republicans out of office in 2014. Why they want to only represent the top 2% I will never understand. The top 2% can not hold a candle to what the 47% want done.
I agree with others here about letting the tax cuts expire, but for different reasons.
The focus needs to be on spending, not taxes. We have an almost incomprehensible spending problem that the president or his party don't want to deal with. Higher taxes (and taxes a whole lot higher than will go into effect in January) will be necessary to pay for it. I think the GOP response is, "Fine, you want all that spending, then we have to pay for it. This tax increase is just the beginning, we're going to need trillions more ..... unless of course you finally want to talk substantively about our spending issues."
Rudy NYC
just askin wrote:
why are only 2% of americans being asked to help pay for this country and its defense????
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Absurb question, so I'll give you what I'm sure you'll find to be an equally absurd answer. Why? Because the 98% have been carrying more than their fair share of this country's defense, both in taxes and lives.
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2009 federal income taxes, who paid how much:
top 1% pay 36.73%
top 5% pay 58.66%
top 10% pay 70.47%
top 25% pay 87.30%
top 50% pay 97.75%
bottom 50% pay 2.25%
far too many pay little or nothing let alone a "fair share". please stop the lies and deception. and please don't respond with the usual drivel about paying other taxes because the people paying the bill above ALSO pay those as well.
that would be great because they were only $1.7 trillion a year versus obama's $3.7 trillion a year.
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Oh you mean the additional $2 trillion that are the DIRECT result of two unfunded wars, Medicare Part D and the Bush Tax Cuts? Darn that Obama and his fiscal policies from 2003-2006.
House republicans are right to demand cuts and should be willing to take some tax increases.
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Except that the only increases that they are willing to take are on deductions that help the middle class (like the mortgage deduction).
Simple idea for House Speaker John Boehner
Extend tax-rate cuts for those making $250,000 or less
This has nothing to do with economics and everything to do with politics and elections. You expected different from a government that kept right on campaigning after election day 2008 INSTEAD of governing a country? This is the President of the United States attacking the Republican Congress so his party can again have total control after the 2014 elections.
The President knows that the "tax the rich" garbage will bring in NO revenue but will appeal to the class hatred and jealousy that got him elected. And if you have a winning hand, you keep playing it, no matter how devastating is it to your country - because the goal is not prosperity for Americans, it is your team winning and getting your way. And rewarding your supporters.
Of course, the President's vicious tactics will work - the 2012 elections proved the voters will ignore reality and actual results and elect a Rock Star. Wait, it gets better - after the taxes destroy the economy, voters will believe the lie that it is somebody else's fault and elect a Democrat in 2016. Actually that is going to happen anyway if my Governor, Andrew Cuomo runs, but that will be because the guy really is better. "The buck stops OVER THERE!"
Don't be fooled by Boehner. He has never and will never work for the America People. Remeber awhile ago when 10 to 1 was placed on the table and Boehner said no deal. Let the Bush Tax Cuts expire.
Simple solution: do nothing. Then everyone can negotiate based on the tax rates from 2001.
When will the republicans tell Americans what they wish to cut to balance the budget?
When will the dems explain how minor revenue increase by tax hikes for 2% is going to balance the budget?
When will politicians face the fact: neither solution is enough?
Falling off the 'fiscal cliff' will still not be enough change to balance the budget.
@Guest – Eliminate Excessive Taxes, Eliminate the National Debt, Eliminate Deficit Spending, Protect Free Markets, Abide by the Constitution of the United States, Promote Civic Responsibility, Reduce the Overall Size of Government, Believe in the People, Avoid the Pitfalls of Politics, Maintain Local Independence. I guess these are all foreign concepts to democrats!
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The amnesiac revisionist version of Republican FACT is incredulous and juvenile.
-Eliminate Excessive Taxes: We have the lowest income taxes in US history. GDP has historically been its highest when personal taxes have been the highest. Tax cuts creating jobs is a obfuscation launched by the 1%.
-Eliminate the National Debt: Given that more than $8.8 TRILLION of the current $16+T occurred during the 8 disastrous years of Bush 43 – and it was at $5.3T when he assumed office – eliminating the debt cannot be done without MASSIVE spending cuts AND tax increases.
-Eliminate Deficit Spending: hmmm..according to the GOP, deficits don't matter. Must be why they burned up a $283 BILLION SURPLUS that they were handed in 2000 and left Obama with a $1.46 TRILLION DEFICIT !! So much for fiscal responsibility from the GOP.
-Reduce the Overall Size of Government: Obama has reduced Federal employee headcount by some 300,000+. That a whole lot more than the 50,000 Bush 43 added and the 283,000 Reagan added.
Now who are these foreign concepts to?? Perhaps a reality check by the right??
I guess I will never understand why programs I have been paying into for over 40 years of working are called entitlements as if I am looking for some sort of handout. At least that is what they make it sound like.
Boehner has to get serious. Republicans lost the election. They are the ones who need to offer bigger concessions, not the president.